1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates to a system for automatically and continuously inserting photograph slides into pockets of sleeving material.
2. Description of the Prior Art.
Developed film and photograph slides made therefrom are packaged in a variety of different manners by photofinishers. Negatives or other strips of film are often inserted into plastic sleeves. A sleever which automatically inserts strips of film into pockets of sleeving material cut from a roll of the material is illustrated generally in the Englestein U.S. Pat. 2,937,483. Sleevers of this type are also shown in a brochure by Crown Photo Systems, Inc. of Evertt, Wash. entitled Sleevers, Sleeving and Other Photo Products For Your Lab!.
Individual film images are commonly mounted within slide mounts to form photograph slides. Slide mounters for automatically mounting film transparencies within slide mounts are known and disclosed generally in the following references:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,543,771 Jensen et al. PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,237,678 Thompson PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,121 Mundt et al. PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 3,788,031 Florjancic PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 3,381,447 Ash et al PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 3,579,948 Lerner PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 3,975,888 Jones
Brochure by Loersch Corp. of Allentown, Pa. entitled Slide Handling Systems and Quickpoint Plastic Slide Mounts.
Photograph slides have typically been packaged in small boxes for shipping and handling. This packaging is done by hand. Boxing methods are costly, and the box is rather heavy for mailing. Since the film cannot be viewed without removing the slides from the box, they often end up with fingerprint smudges thereon. It has been found to be more efficient and convenient to package photograph slides in transparent sleeving material. A sleeving system which automatically and continuously inserts photograph slides into sleeving material is shown in the Truc et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,748,799.
Other methods and apparatus for inserting various items into containers are disclosed in the following U.S. patents:
There is a continuing need for improved photograph slide sleeving systems. To be commercially viable these systems must be capable of quickly and reliably inserting photograph slides into the sleeving material.